Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Transdermal Delivery

X

Ester is a multidisciplinary scientist with a background in biotechnology, biochemistry, and bioengineering. After working in different roles across startups, pharma, and consulting, she is now the Director of Strategic Innovation at Chiesi USA, where she is scouting companies for partnerships or acquisitions that have innovative technologies to treat patients with rare diseases. At MIT, Ester developed a pill to administer insulin orally, and was recognized by the MIT Technology Review as one of the 35 Innovators Under 35 in 2019. She is also a Lecturer at MIT, and serves as an advisor and mentor to various international startups and academic programs. She speaks seven languages and is passionate about advocating on career development for women in science.

Dr. Speaker has worked in various science and engineering roles related to medical devices and drug delivery for the past three decades, accumulating a wide variety of experience and numerous patents and publications. At the startup TransDerm he developed a dissolvable microneedle platform that led to a long-term passion for innovation specific to Global Health and especially the needs of LMIC populations. As the recipient of a Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Exploration grant, he led a team that produced the first demonstration of a microneedle-administered antimalarial CSP vaccine. In his present role at AbbVie, he continues to drive a culture of patient-centered innovation within the Combination Products Development group. Dr. Speaker is also a member of the Microneedle Array Patch (MAP) Regulatory Working Group, part of the PATH Center of Excellence for MAP technology, a consortium of experts that seeks to expedite clinical translation of microneedle patch technology into meaningful patient benefit. He plays various additional roles, primarily advising small companies involved in rapid diagnostic tests and prevention of insect-borne disease, especially as relevant to LMIC.